Folding davit



Feb. 7, 1933.

J. L.) HYLAND FOLDING DAVIT Filed'May 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l J. L.HYLAND FOLDING DAVIT Feb. 7, 1933.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1929 J. L. HYLAND FOLDING DAVIT Feb. 7,1933.

Filed May4 6, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 rPatented Feb. 7, 1933 A UNITEDSTATES JoHN L. mann, or NEW Yonx, N. YQ

PATENT ori-ICE FOLDING DAVIT application medley e, 1929. serial no.360,303.y

i 1g same space that the present equipment takes.

The object of the invention is `to simplify and improve the method oflaunching lifeboats bythe provision of folding davits to be placed onthe deck of a vessel to receive 15 and support the lifeboats in invertedpositions, and to cause the lifeboatstobelaunched in about one-tenth thelength of time it ordinarily requires and in an improved manner. Thesupporting `of the lifeboats in an inverted position on the deck of thevessel greatly lengthens the life of the lifeboats and preserves them tofacilitate the launching thereof,.and it also preserves the equipmentused in lowering the lifeboats and facilitates the .2e launching thereofwith less than one-half of the, equipment now used, and from either thlifeboat r the ships deck. Y y f In Vthe accompanying drawings:

` F ig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side Velevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View throughithe supporting mechanismfor one of the davits; Y

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionalview through the same; l y

Fig. `5 is detail sectional view. of one of the brakes; i

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a modified arrangement; and

Fig. 7 is a detail. y

The deck, or other convenient part of the vessel, upon which thelifeboat is Vto be supported and secured'is designated' generally by thenumeral 1. Supported by the deck 1 and extending upwardly therefrom inspaced relation,` as shown in Fig. 1, are supporting structures 2, whichare of convenient framework to support the davits 3., which aresupported on the structures 2. The Adavits 3 have notches 5 at theopposite ends thereof to receive thesides of the lifeboat 6, as shown iin dotted lines in Fig42. Y i I The lifeboat is held in position on thedavits 3 .by means of cables 7,each having one end secured to a pin 8`extending transversely @as vof .each of thedavits 3, and the oppositeend of each cable 7 extendsabout a sleeve 9 vand is coiled thereon, sothat `whenthis sleeve is turned itcausesa coiling or uncoiling of thecable. The sleeve-9 is mounted and support- .ign ed on the shaft 10,-with which it has ya screwthreaded connection v so that upon' the'sleeve 9 being turned it is fed .lengthwise'oflthe shaft l0. c Theshaft 10 is securely fastened or mounted in a convenient part ofthelife- @e5 boat.. The turning of the sleeve is normally retarded by,means of a screw 11 which bears. thereagainst and Vmay be adjusted 'bymeans" Ofa hand-wheel12. This screw is threaded Vthrough a plate 13mounted in thelifeboat. 5.11m

The lifeboat 6 is supported in an inverted i position on the davits 3,and in order to turn ,this lifeboat to an upright position, the davits 3are pivoted at one end, as at-lt, toears 14C extending outwardly fromand carried bypzs levers 15, which are rof' approximately L- shape,having the short-arm thereof pivotedV `as at .16 in slots 16 in thesupporting `structure 2, the long arm ofthe Lshapedlevers 15 extendingbeneath and supporting fthezsc davits approximately throughout theirlenUths, as shown in Fig. 2.

Sbupported `within each of the structures` 2 is an angular'drum 17pivotedas ,at18

thereto. A cable 19 extends about this angu-f85 Vlar drum17, having oneend fixed to the drum and extends vover a rod`20 and is coiled'about ashaft 21. This shaft 21 extends lengthwise between the supportingStructures 2and rep ceives both of the cables 19, the free ends ofV Veach of the cables- 19 being secured to the shaft 21 A coil spring 22has one end therey Y Y- of fixed tothe pivot 18, and the other end tothe angular drum 17 for normally tending to return this frame to itsinitial position.`

Rollers 23y and 24 are carried by theA angular drum 17 and normallybearagainst the underside of each of the levers 15, so that when theshaft`21 is turned to coil the cable 19 thereon, this causes atilting ofthe angular' .100 Y drum 17and causes the rollers 23 to be forcedupward, turning the levers and davits 3 about the pivotk16, `which turnsthe lifeboat to anv upright position beside the deck of the mainvessel..

Connected with the inner end of each of the davits 3 is a cable 25,`which extends downwardly and is also coiled about the shaft 21 in adirection opposite tothat in which the cable 19 is coiled thereon,gto-be'wound or unwound oppositely to the corresponding action of the cable19. .A wheel 26 maybe connected with the shaft`21 to turn said shaft andthis wheel may be' eithermanually or power actuated. v c

A braking'device-'designated generally by the numeral 27, mayAloe-,applied tothe shaft 21andmaylbe ofa construction similar to thatshown in Fig. 5, so as to retard the moveyment ofthe kshaft when thedavits 3 have been yturned to an extreme position, if this Yshouldbepnecessary or desirable.

' In using the invention, thelifeboat will Y normally be supported invan inverted position onV the d'avits 3Vwhich` vwillfbe located Vin thevfull lline position ofFi'g. 2, and when it is desired` to lower thelifeboat, the turn- Y ling of the shaft 21 will cause an unwinding ofthe cable 25 and a windingor coiling of the cables19, which tilts theangular drum Y17V about their pivots 18 and the bearing of V,th'erollers23 against the underside 4of the vras4 Vso that the weightvof thelifeboat will then be sufficient to causea further'movement ofsleeve'l9.V

levers 15 moves these upward about their pivots 1G-to an angularposition, causing the `pivots 16 to drop downward'in the .slots 16 thisandthe davits 3 approximately to a hori- -zontal position, the klifeboatbeing upright. l The lifeboat is held on the davits by: means of l lthe'cables- 7 c which are wound onto the nel@ :bmi-enea i2 is tumeasiighuyto irelease; the brakingaction' on this sleeve, 4the weight of thelifeboatonl the cables will p cause an uncoiling of the cables and alowerwingl of,y .the lifeboat. The reason for Vthe 50as the cableuncoils, soas to keep the cables in Y.

threaded'connection between lthe-sleeve 9 and shaft 1O is to feed the'sleevellongitudinally upright positions. In replacing the lifeboat Y onthe davits, this action'may be reversedand -9 to yturn the latter.

some convenient means applied to the sleeve In the form shown in 6, thelevers 15 a'rerpivotedk in the slots 16 to the structures"2,5eachofwhich isvprovided with a curved i vedge 28 (seeFig. 7).

The davits 3 are pivoted to the levers 15 as in Figs'll to 1.

Separate shafts 29 and 30 are journaled in the supporting structures 2,in alignment, and; are securely threaded into a sleeve 31, which is.tapered toward the shaft '30." lIhe opposite end of this vshaft 30 isthreaded into `a xed standard 32, so as to move the `shaftlongitudinally when turned. The shafts 29 and 30 are provided with holes33k for the insertion of a Vpin to Vturn the same, and a` wheel 34 isalso providedon the shaft 29 for the same purpose. f

A locking device 35, of av form similar to that shown in Fig. 5, ismounted to cooperate with the sleeve:V v31 to 'limit' the rotationthereof. Y Ropes 36 each have one end fixed to one of Y the shafts 29Yor 30 and in opposite directions,

and extend over pins 37 mounted at the outer ends of the davits 3 andare wound around vvthe opposite bend'sof a sleeve 38 carried by Vshafts39 and 40 and` having a threadedconse' Y Vnectiony with the shaft39,the' shafts39 and 4() l being fixed tothe lifeboat 6. The sleeve 38 is4provided with va tapered portion'V 41- with which a braking device-T42VcooperatesV to conytrol'the loweringof the lifeboat'. Y

With this form (Fig. 6) the loosening of the'ropes 36 allows the pivot16 'to rdropin 'the slot- 16 which will shift' the; centerV Vo fgravitysufficiently-for-the weight of the life-' e vboat toautomatically cause afl'aunching thereof. The brakes or 42 acting on thetapered sleeves 31 and v,41 to preventfanY un- Y winding of the cablesuntil released and then only to the extent released, lwhich allows alowering of the lifeboat either from'on deck orfwithin',thelifeboat andVautomatically by the loosening of either of the brakes. f

I claim':4 p l Y 1. In a device of thecharacter described,

boat toan upright position.A

2. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a. supporting structure, a i,

davit pivotally carried thereby, an Vangular drum pivotally connectedwith the supporting structure and imposition to cause an upward Vpivotalmovementof vthe davit, and means for movingthe'drum.

3. In av device A of f the character the combination of a supportingstructure,'a davit pivotallyv supportedthereon for receiving -Athelife-boat in an inverted position, lan

angular drum carryingroller's,pivotally disdescribed, Y

posed beneath the underside of the davit for Y Acausing an upwardturning movement thereof to turn the life-boatftoanrupright position,and means for moving the drum. Y 4. Ina device of the characterdescribed,

vthe combination of a supporting structure, a davit. pivotally supportedthereon forreceivingthe life-boat in an inverted` position, anA

angular drum carrying rollers, and pivotally disposed beneath theunderside of the davit for causing an upward turning movement thereof toturn the life-boat to an upright. position, a cable coiled about theangular drum, and means for winding said cable to tilt the drum.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of supportingstructures mounted in spaced relation near the side of a boat, davitspivotally mounted on said supporting structures for receiving alife-boat in inverted position, angular drums disposed under and bearingagainst the davits for causing an upward turning movement thereof tomove the lifeboat to an upright position, cables wound labout said drumsand having the inner ends thereof connected with the drums, a shaft onwhich said cables are coiled, and additional cables coiled on said shaftin the opposite direction and extending therefrom to the inner ends ofthevdavits.

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of lowering cables for a lifeboat, a shaft for receivingthe cables and having a tapered portion, means for engaging the taper-edportion, and means for causing relative longitudinal movement betweenthe tapered portion and the engaging means, said tapered portion and itsengaging means cooperating to limit said longitudinal movement andcontrol the release of the cables.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of cablesattached to a lifeboat for lowering the same, a shaft having a taperedportion and receiving the cables, means for causing a longitudinalmovement `of the shaft upon turning thereof, and

means cooperating with the tapered portion for controlling the releaseof the cables.

8. In life boat launching apparatus, the combination of supportingmembers having pivoted ends, supporting means for said pivoted ends,said supporting means being constructed and arranged for verticalsliding movement of thepivoted ends, a lever for causing swingingmovement o f the supporting members on the pivots, and having means forholding the pivoted ends in an elevated position, a swinging movement ofthe lever in one direction causing a release of the lastmentionedholding means and a swinging of the supporting members onthe pivots.

In testimony whereof I afiX my signature.

JOHN HYLAND.

